Customer Reviews

Video Production Handbook, Fourth Edition

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(0)
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This is an excellent overview of pretty much everything you'd need to know as a beginning professional videographer or video producer. While the book is aiming to address an audience of amateur do-it-yourselfers as well as those aspiring to work professionally with video, it's written mostly in the tone of a textbook, and is focused a bit more heavily on television and industrial style productions, where professionalism is the key factor (above drive, innovation and spunk, for example). That's a good thing, because it makes for a clear and thorough read. At the same time, it's not as exciting to read as some of the more popular books aimed more at amateurs and "guerilla" style filmmakers (like What They Don't Teach You at Film School or Make Your Own Damn Movie!).

I detected a bit of unevenness in tone, as well, probably accounted for by the multiple authors. Some of the later chapters read much better than the fairly dry early chapters. For a better read that is both exciting, even toned and equally comprehensive, even if focused on documentary filmmaking, I'd recommend The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide.

Still, this is a reliable and thorough guide to pretty much everything you'll need to know and take into account in order to begin serious video production. It is very well illustrated and the information is presented in a logical and clear fashion. It's not going to motivate you to just get out there and make a movie, but if you are already motivated it will give you the information you need to be sure you do it right. I expect to refer to it regularly, and recommend it to anyone who is serious about making movies (documentary, feature, and commercial) on video.

...that's what the back cover says, and it's right. I'm not sure what I was expecting when I ordered this, but the information is very, very basic, and pretty obviously written to be used as a textbook- the authors assume no prior knowledge of anything related to video production. That's not a bad thing- you have to start somewhere, right?- but I found myself skimming ahead quite a bit, especially in the first third of the book, and I'm by no means any sort of expert or anything (I've never even taken a video or cinematography class). I think even the beginner is going to have an easy time with the early material, and maybe a little less space could have been used for some of the conceptual aspects.

Still, the book is laid out very logically, and contains material on all major basic aspects of video production. The writing is excellent, and the principle that video production is art comes through strongly. I got a real sense that the authors were artists, writing for aspiring artists. The sections on camera techniques and lighting techniques were especially helpful to me. The authors frequently open new sections by posing focus questions, which is a nice feature for when one uses the book as a quick reference.

Very basic, but helpful and intuitive. It's a good reference to have handy.

Easy to use and affordable video hardware makes it easy for everyone to produce videos of mediocre to poor production quality. Such clips are readily available on YouTube and elsewhere on the Internet for personal viewing on a desktop computer, laptop, mobile device, or cell phone.

Good production quality video requires the producer to know what he/she is doing. That involves utilizing the right equipment, tried and true photographic and cinema graphic techniques, editing visuals and sound effectively, and formatting the results appropriately for the viewing audience.

That's where a book like "Video Production Handbook, Fourth Edition," is valuable. The newest edition updates essential material which represents long standing practices in the film and video production industries. That involves script writing, camera and lens techniques, working with actors and production crews, lighting setups, audio capturing and processing, editing, and more.

The book is designed as a teaching tool and comprehensively covers all of these traditional elements while also providing material on the latest technology and video hardware and digital/computer-based peripherals like storage devices and media. The book is intended to be introductory and addressed to the novice video producer. Depth of treatment is sacrificed for breadth. There are sections, for example, on copyright and contract issues, and editing, that just barely introduce the topics. But, the concept here is to present nearly everything the beginner needs to know without getting bogged down in excessive details and complications.

The first chapter is an overview of the video production process. There is a full chapter on describing the typical production crew and what each member does. Another chapter deals with organizing a production shoot .There is an emphasis throughout on choosing and using the latest hardware for video, audio, lighting, and backgrounds.

That approach works well here. The presentation is relatively light and easy to digest. The book is rich in production values - full-color graphics, easy on the eyes layouts, plenty of illustrations, and glossaries in each chapter itemizing those topics covered therein. There is a handful of checklists for various production processes. The fifteen chapters cover all of the basics of quality audio/video production with high regard for clarity. The presentations assume no technical background and the lowest level of consumer investment in equipment.

For educators, there is an associated online instructor's website with access to PowerPoints, video demonstrations, and other teaching materials. Video Production Handbook is a fine primer for aspiring producers.

A lot has already been said, let me try and sum up the best.

Great book,

High quality images, immediately useful information.

Works for all areas of video

If you want to shoot a infomercial, a documentary, or a short film, everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING) is covered here.

This book and google is all you need to go from newbie to expert in a matter of weeks.

Every topic is covered, they provide great insight and the information is easily accessible and at hand.

I highly recommend checking this book out. Then you can focus your attention on working on the areas that still need more explaining to you.

This book covers most everything and devotes about a chapter to each topic, some topics require a book themselves, but this book does get you started on the right track.

Last, but not least, is the way this book is designed allows it to be almost immediately useful at any moment.

All the information is laid out as quickly to read as possible with as much relevant information as allowed (no fluff).

Take page 100 for example, you can flip to that page, and immediately see and learn various ways to hold the camera to avoid shakiness. This is just 1 of the many pages I have "tagged" so that I may flip to it more easily for quick reference.

Excellent for the intrigued and the lost, like me. Let's face it, we have not really paid much attention to video and camcorders until the tube-like sites started melting our brains. I've gotten so connected with web video that I am getting clients hiring me for video work just for the tube sites. Well, the phenomenon has also inspired me to do some minor film making with a desire to go further with my ideas. This is the book just for that.

If you are overwhelmed with what camera to buy, this is a great first step. I am still trying to decide which is best for my upgrade, and this helped narrow it down to a more affordable decision. But, without losing quality and my mind.

The main focus here are the techniques and tips. And there are plenty of them for all experience ranges. I have been using the book to refer to for many situations, and it's very current with today's technology. Whether you are interested in television, cinematic achievements, or recording the soon to be viral bubble gum blowing dog, this will guide you through it.

I am not good with text books as I learn by doing. But having this by my side, for an at a glance need, it's easy to read. Most importantly is that there is an abundance of color photos in this book. You know exactly what they are talking about on every page. If you are thinking the retail price is high for a paperback, it more than pays for itself with the high quality photography guiding you along the way.

This book should appeal to the more experienced Director just for the reference points at hand. But if you are a beginner or want to take your amateur work to a professional level, this is a perfect first step without the intimidation. You may want to follow this publication in the future as I am sure there will be further or updated editions. But at the moment, it's remarkably fresh and enlightening.

My so called better half has always been the video camera holder in out relationship. Not anymore. Now, thanks to this book, I demand and get equal time. After reading through this book, I'm every bit as good with the camera as he is. No, I'm better. I remember when we first got the camera. We bought it because we were going to Hawaii. I remember standing out on the balcony of our hotel and shooting the ocean. I didn't have a clue as to what I was doing. I was just holding the camera and pointing, making a dull and very boring video. That was it for me.

But after going through this book I saw that I could actually get good at it, that shooting video was an art form. Just because you have an expensive camera doesn't make you a video god, you have to work at it, like all art, getting good at it requires a little work, but everything you put into it, you get back out ten fold.

This is an excellent book for both the video novice and video amateur alike. I was a novice, now I'm not.

First off let me say that I've been into photography for as long as I can remember. I've been searching for the perfect shot ever since kindergarten. Even in this day of digital, I still spend hours and hours in the darkroom. I've never been into video. But we have a couple video cameras for vacations and my iPhone does video, so I thought maybe I'd give it a whirl. After all, how hard could it be?

Hard, real hard, that's how hard. I've never done the video recording in our little family and we seldom look at them after our vacations are over. So, before diving into this book I took a video camera out and shot some footage. Would I ever watch it again. Absolutely not.

After going through this book my videos have gotten noticeable better. You know, I knew stuff like how to arrange people to get the most pleasing photo, but my videos made me look like an absolutely novice, now I'm better. I wasn't following the subject, wasn't moving with her. I sort of had to rearrange my mindset to get good videos, this book helped me do that.

As someone who did a semester or two of video production in college and had to figure out the rest, I wish I had a book like this early on in my video production career. This book covers EVERYTHING. Not only the "how-to" but in many cases the "why" and the "why not." It delves into properly planning your shoots, how to write for television, how to delineate roles and responsibilities, and covers the technical considerations too.

Detail is adequate in most sections, but you'll want to start looking at other Amazon books to delve further into specific subject areas. Lighting, audio, composition, and editing techniques are all career paths and you'll certainly need more than just a chapter or two in this handbook to develop great proficiency.

Still, this book is a substantial overview of learning this business - including many of the new opportunities (and challenges) that digital video production and distribution has brought. If you are interested in getting into this business, or just an amateur starting out and looking to improve your craft, this book should be your first purchase -- even before that fancy camera.

I read this book because I am interested in making videos, although I don't yet have a camera. The book is a bit like a text book, but it represents a very thorough overview of the entire process of making videos.

The book covers all aspects, from planning, filming, post production, lighting, sound, and graphics. Some of the information is more pertinent to professional recordings, but it describes video production in terms of both professional and casual. It is chock full of valuable tips on how to prepare, shoot, and complete videos so that they will be interesting to the viewer. One of the points they make is that a script should be very clear and to the point, and the book is written this way. The paragraphs provide the straight facts, with pertinent verbal examples and many, many picture examples. As a result you learn a lot in a short amount of pages.

I would say that his book is a great beginning for anyone who wants to make videos. It is aimed at the person producing personal videos such as for U-Tube, but is quite valuable even for home movie photographers, since it also covers composition and basic lighting techniques.

Well written, engaging, informative. The book is like a great documentary. Highly recommended.

The title is misleading to a certain extent: "Video Production Handbook" implies that it is an encyclopedia of the ins and outs of video production. And it is - on a superficial level.

The book is intended for people with little or no background in video production. It is also oriented toward full bore production environments with full crews. A flow chart lists 19 "Video Production Crew Job Descriptions". Yes, the author mentions YouTube and other "new media", but this book is oriented toward the professional leagues of video production.

The chapter on "Organizing The Production", likewise, describes the process for a big-budget production, not for the guy shooting in his backyard or on the street.

"Production Techniques" emphasizes pro-level techniques and equipment.

Thereafter, the remaining chapters such as "Writing For Video", "The Camera", "Using The Camera" and the rest are all oriented toward pro-level equipment and, for the most, part pro-level techniques such as using a Steadicam.

While there is much here in terms of knowledge that any videomaker can benefit from knowing, most of that information is more germane to working at a pro level. For the independent videomaker working with prosumer or other equipment, there are better books available.

The book's own production quality is production quality is high, as it almost always is with Focal Press. The writing style is smooth and there is no question of the author's extensive knowledge.

"Video Production Handbook" is, I think, best suited for a classroom where the students know little or nothing about video production. Other readers, particularly those hoping to increase their skills at producing video on a limited budget will find little of value here.

Jerry